My Single Knitted FO of the Holidays.

The sweater, the shawl, the cowl, and the scarf, all planned as my holiday knits, are still languishing in various states of almost-ready. Those knits are from patterns. And for most of our two-week holiday break, the dream of sitting and knitting, per a pattern, was merely that--a dream.

But I did manage to knit a hat. It is aran weight, and it's from what I call my Always Aran pattern. Not so much a pattern but a recipe. I know if I cast on a certain number of stitches (in my case 84) on certain needles (US 8s for the brim, switching to 9s or 10s for the body) in my Duck Duck Wool Aran, I can knit mindlessly, even when throwing in a few columns of cables, and I'll get a very wearable hat.

Here's the result of my latest recipe. 

It is knit from yarn I dyed for a special club colorway for the sweetest yarn shop. (I'll link to the source after I double check that all orders have shipped.) I think it's so pretty. And I swear it knit itself.

Those speckles! On a neutral. I think this would be amazing in a sweater.

There are many exciting things about our move (which is in one more sleep! Well, one more sleep until we start the move. Seven more sleeps until we begin living there). But a knitterly thing that ranks very high on the exciting list is that the house has a space earmarked for a proper dye studio. In its current state, the space is unfinished and not much to look at. But just you wait! (Mood board reveal to follow.)

Always

Well hi there!  (FYI:  I’m just going to gloss over the fact that last October I promised to visit this space consistently…because we’re friends, right?  Real friends.  And real friends are those that can pick up where they left off without so much as a hiccup.  So that’s what I’m doing.  Treating you like a real friend.)

I wanted to post a picture of my Always Aran Hat pattern that I....yep...ALWAYS have in some state of progress on a set of needles. 

Whether it's at swim practice, lacrosse practice, basketball practice, or the doctor's (aka where I feel like I spend most of my life with three boys--who's with me?), I love always having an easy knit ready to grab and go.  It's super quick, easily modified (change up the cable!), and...might I humbly suggest...perfect for a skein of Duck Duck Wool Merno Aran (which coincidentally will be in the Etsy shop soon--swear!). 

I'll post the pattern up on my blog or Ravelry eventually but for now, I plan to exclusively include it with any purchase of DDW Aran, sound good?  Plus--bonus!--if we all knit new hats I bet spring is here to stay.  And we'll just be ahead of the hat-game for next year.  Win win.

Best, Sandra